Freckles and Scars
by Alina Rose McQueen
Summary: University AU Remus is a genius and compulsive planner . Sirius is a sad boy with too much time on his hands. James is a brilliant animal rights activist with a habit of meddling. When James and Remus are paired together for an assignment, James takes it upon himself to ensure that his new partner and his best friend meet and fall in love
1. Chapter 1

_**Sirius**_

"James!" I call from where I am sprawled across the god awful plaid lounge set we'd found on the footpath outside our flat. When there's no response I call out again, this time a little louder. "Prongs!"

"What do you want?" he sticks his head out of the bathroom door, water still clinging to his dark shoulders.

"Where are you going again?"

"I've told you four times you tosser," he calls back, dissapearing into the bathroom, probably in search of pants.

"Well tell me again,"

"I have a Latin paper to write with some lanky bloke in my class so he's got a quiet table at the library,"

"Oi, if he's hot, gimme his number,"  
"You really are desperate,"

"Yeah I know," I roll my eyes adn hear him clattering around the bathroom, knocking things over in pursuit of his specs, "Oi, what time are you going to be back?"

"Probably before three, why?" he comes out with jeans slung low on his hips and his hands busy toweling his hair.

"Can you get me some fish and chips on your way back?"

"If you wanna give me the three pound eighty for it,"

"Mate, it's your shout," he drops the towel around his shoulders and cocks an eyebrow.

"And how do you figure that?"

"I got Evan's number for you. If it turns into anything, you are going to owe me a lot more than a three pound eighty serving of fish and chips," he grunts and I laugh.

"Fine," he pulls a white t-shirt over his head , readjusting his glasses on his nose, squinting a little.

"Thanks mate, you're a champ,"

"Oh bugger off," his voice is grumpy but he's obviously trying to stop himself from chuckling. He slings the strap of his satchel across his torso and grabs an apple from the bowl. "See you later, fruit bat,"

"See you later, fruit cake," he groans, slamming the door that is prone to jamming, sending flakes of old white paint flying in every direction. I turn back to the list of tv shows on my laptop and my hand half heartedly reaches into the bag of crisps that's lying between my thigh and the back of the lounge.

 _ **James**_

To be honest, I didn't even want to be taking Latin but it was either Latin or Ancient and Medieval China, which included a lot of words that I can never remember how to spell - which makes the fact that I chose Latin ironic.

The library was quiet, which is not surprising for ten on a Saturday morning. Considering I couldn't even remeber the bloke's name, the fact that he was the only one sitting at a desk was what saved me from utter embarassment.

"Hello," he says before I have a chance. He stands up, clumsily bumping the table, causing his face to flush red. I grasp his hand and shake it once before releasing him.

"Hey, I'm James,"

"Remus," I take off my bag and sit across the table from him.

"So, where do you want to start?" I ask and he takes a deep breath.

"I usually start any assignment by planning it, so if you want to start with that, that would be great,"

"Oh thank God," he looks at me in shock.

"Sorry, my best mate is the exact opposite and it drives me mental. He's doing European Social and Political Studies and whenever he has an assignment, there are sheets of notes to be found all over our flat," he laughs nervously and I offer a smile.

For the next hour we plan each section of our paper in depth which would have taken me a day to do on my own. When he excuses himself to use the loo I take out my phone and send a message to Sirius.

 **Hey Pads, This guy is a genius**

 _You also said that the guy who thought of frying asparagus was a genius so forgive me if I don't take your word for it._

 **No seriously. His method of breaking down the assignment is phenomenal.**

 _Okay, Professor, go dry out your knickers._

 **Don't be gross.**

 _It's in my nature_

 **Go back to whatever horrid american procedural cop drama you were watching.**

 _one more thing_

 **What?**

 _Is he hot?_

 **Go away**


	2. Chapter 2

_**James**_

For the next few hours, Remus and I coordinate our efforts, share quips and take turns fetching coffee - even though every time he takes a sip he looks at the mug he looks somewhat disappointed, as if he was expecting something else. I'm about to offer to get him a tea when we're approached by a plain girl in a grey pant suit.

"Sorry guys but I have to ask you to finish up, we're closing soon,"

"Oh, of course, we'll be out of your hair in a moment," Remus says with a smile, closing his notebook.

"Time flies," I say, packing up the assorted notes and books that I had strategically placed for convenient viewing.

"You're not wrong," he replies, looking distracted.

"What's up?" it looks like he's snapping out of a trance when he looks up at me.

"Oh, nothing, I just get a little put out when I'm on a roll on an assignment and I'm interrupted," he smiles awkwardly, but his eyes are noticeably grumpy.

"Well, I promised my flatmate-"

"The messy one?"

"-the messy one- that I'd get him some fish and chips on the way home. So why don't you come with me, have a late lunch and we can keep studying at mine?" his smile seems genuine now. And Sirius thinks I'm a nerd. I think with a certain humour.

"That sounds great actually," He slings his leather satchel across his cardigan-clad shoulders and Picks up the pile of books to be borrowed. I swing my backpack onto my shoulders and we walk towards the front counter.

 _ **Sirius**_

It's almost four by the time the front door is being forced open. I don't look up from my page in the book I'm reading when I call out.

"Prongs, you're late!"

"Sorry Mate, got a little held up," he replies, grunting with the force it takes to get our damned door open. I hear a second pair of footsteps, footsteps that are too light to belong to Peter so I assume its Lily.

"Snogging in the alleyway, were you? Hope you saved some for sugar for me," I joke and then I hear a mortified squeak which is followed by James bursting into laughter. That's when I turn to see who is actually with James and I feel all the blood run to my face. The boy that is standing in the middle of our flat is clutching a bundle of chips for dear life and his face is probably the same shade of crimson as mine. "Oh... Uh... Sorry... Um," I roll off the lounge, stuttering as I back down the hallway then disappear into my room. Shutting the door behind me and feeling the tears of shame pouring down my face.

By the time James makes his way to my room, I am sitting in my closet.

"Sirius?" he asks, the door squeaking. "Pads?" his tone is somewhere between how you would say 'Marco' and how you would call your pet golden retriever.

"Sirius is dead, I am a tiny ball of dark shame," he chuckles and opens the closet doors.

"Okay, tiny ball of dark shame, are you going to come out and say hi now?" I look at him in alarm.

"No! How can I ever face him?" James would later describe my tone as that one serious anime guy who starts crying randomly, you know the one. "How can I ever face the beautiful boy in a knitted cardigan ever again?"

"You're being dramatic," he mutters and, after a pause, adds "and he's really not that beautiful," he scrunches up his nose and I glare at him

"Remus Lupin is the epitome of beautiful!" I say and then clamp my hand firmly over my mouth. James looks at me in confusion.

"Sirius, is there something you wanna tell me?" he asks with a cocked eyebrow.

"No," I reply indignantly.

"Whatever, your chips are going cold, by the way,"

"Can you bring them in?" I asks and he shakes his head.

"No way, you have to get them yourself," he tells me, leaving my room with the door wide open. I throw my head back and groan, glaring into the darkness of my closet which, at this point, I really wished was the entrance to Narnia. Slowly but surely I climb down out of the closet, pull on a jacket and look at myself in my mirror. I take a deep breath, run a brush through my hair before pulling it up into a messy bun and walk out to face my ultimate doom. My walk down the hall is spent composing every muscle in my face so that I look calm and maybe a little bit mischievous. Prongs had, of course, set up my chips right across from Remus and I make a mental note to kill him in his sleep tonight. I smile at Remus courteously, and he returns it, though he doesn't hold my gaze for long. I sit at the table and start pulling apart my piece of fish, tearing the batter off and wrapping a chip in it.

"So, Remus, this is my flatmate Sirius," James finally says, cutting into the almost tangible awkward silence. "Sirius, this is my partner Remus,"

"Hey," I offer, my tone as close to nonchalant as I can manage.

"Hey," his voice wavers and I suddenly feel terrible for making him feel so uncomfortable.

"So… Sirius, have you and James known each other long?" Remus asks and I smile. I like the way he says my name. I push that thought away for now, right now I have to be cool Sirius.

"Yeah, since we were kids,"

"Oh, that's cool... How long have you two been a couple?" his eyes flicker from the page in front of him, where he's scribbling notes in some sort of shorthand, and my face. James bursts into yet another fit of laughter and I try not to turn into a tomato again.

"Oh! Oh no, we're not... God, no," James answers before I have the chance to even formulate a coherent sentence. "God no, he's way too much maintenance for me," I roll my eyes but I'm glad for the line he's just thrown me.

"Says you, Mr. 'I spend $40 on hair gel and only eat wholegrain bread'," the art of playful banter is something James and I have perfected over the years. Remus cracks a smile.

"Oh come on, you spend more time choosing your outfit than Lily does,"

"That's because Evans doesn't know the difference between a plaid and a tartan or why they should never be worn together,"

"There's a difference between plaid and tartan?" James looks thoroughly bewildered and I turn to Remus.

"Do you see what I have to live with? Honestly," a smile pulls at the corner of his mouth and I grin back at him.

"Absolute barbarians," he adds and I laugh at James's look of absolute betrayal. As the jokes die down and Remus and James return to their study session. I pick up my chips and return to my place on the lounge and delve back into the fictional world of my book.


End file.
